Daily Prompt: Something So Strong

March 13, 2014

Tell us the origin story of your best friend. How did you become friends? What is it that keeps your friendship rockin’ after all these years?

I met my best friend, G, while residing in my mother’s belly. My mom was a friend of G’s aunt. G and I took a while to formulate our friendship, to bother to get to know who the other was, once left to our own devices. It started in junior high school, but bloomed a few years later.

Obviously we lived in the same neighborhood. Although our families had cars, back then they were never used for ‘play dates.’ Our friends were local, confined to a 20 block radius. And it worked perfectly because our realities meshed. We had similarity with just enough difference to keep life spicy. The relationships that grew were organic. We were pulled into each other’s world because it felt right, safe, interesting and fun.

Then things changed. We’d test how far we could push the envelope. Could we get into and out of trouble together, could we depend on the other for helpful logic, support, discussion? Was this really a friendship? Time moved forward. There was college, first jobs, where to live, who to marry, children. We no longer lived in the same neighborhood, our kids went to different schools, we saw each other less frequently. But I could pick up the phone and have a conversation with her like I saw her yesterday. There’s a closeness and comfort to this behavior that should not be ignored or underestimated.

We are still best friends. We’ve gone through divorce, second marriages, fall-outs, yelling matches, troubles with children, boyfriends, husbands. There isn’t anything I can imagine that could dissolve our feelings, love, devotion. We are respectful, admiring, and supportive. We fly across the country, call to share a laugh or cry, have a deep need to stay connected.

Guard your friendships.

There is an intangible element to this type of friendship. A blessing gained, a prayer answered, a real, non-romantic, no license needed, life bond. We have history; we know parents that have passed, siblings, cousins. We speak in abbreviations because we have the back story. Life is short but best friends make the journey smoother!

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About wendykarasin

I am complicated and seeking - joy and sorrow, country and city, competition and cooperation. After behavior of a gregarious nature, I require down time to refuel. My loves are children, family, friends, reading, writing, blogging, fitness, and health. I feel most alive when I stay true to my core values. Beauty makes me happy, pain helps me grow.

15 Responses to Something So Strong

You’re so right — there is something intangible. I reconnected with my best friend from elementary/middle school a couple of years ago. Though we will never be “best friends” again (too much time and distance) the inexplicable quality that drew us to each other when we were 12 is still there. It made me so happy to find her and to discover that.

I know what you mean, Martha. I reconnected with a friend from 6th grade too, and although it’s different than it was, there still is that ‘intangible’ quality to our friendship that raises it above. Thanks for your comment.